Scottish Delight: Holly Fulton
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
After winning the Young Designer of the Year Award at the Scottish Fashion Awards, and showing a triumphant collection at London Fashion Week’s Fashion East, Holly Fulton is grateful. ”I am very proud to be Scottish, and flattered to be alongside Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders. Their level of success is good to aim for,” said the designer. Armed with Art Deco graphics and taking cues from haute couture, Fulton’s design viewpoint is gathering her much respect in the fashion world. Keep an eye on this one.
For more information go to: www.hollyfulton.com
The Designer:
Images via: hollyfulton.com
The Best Days of Our Lives: Summer ‘09 Festivals
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Summer is over and all we’ve got are the memories of pretty darn good times. All over the globe crowds congregated at diverse summer music festivals to dance, celebrate and liberate. Every festival has its own style tempo depending on the music genre, fashion is then an undeniable part of the festival charm.
After giving it serious thought, I preferred to compile only the looks that are authentically stylish and not so trend-obsessed. Believe me, I bumped into some infectiously tiring get-ups, from Glastonbury’s Kate Moss wannabes to Electric Daisy’s neon queens, I saw and then moaned.
But scouring for the truly stylish has its perks, so I scratched the surface to unearth only the unique. After attending and researching countless of festivals, carnivals and street events, I now uncover a combination of exclusively the best of what festival goers wore; including performers, celebrities, fellow journalists, and of course the always eye-filling attendees.
Let’s start with the Glastonbury, V and Reading Festivals 
Good eh! Let’s continue with the LoveBox, Bonaroo, All Points West and Loolapalloza Festivals
Sweet garbs! Ok, now with the Coachella, Electric Daisy, High Line and Field Day Festivals
The End!
Refugees Through the Lens of Fashion
Monday, November 10th, 2008
Celebrated fashion photographer Rankin turned his back on the sumptuousness and glamour to embark on a journey to the refugee camps of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The war-torn country is said to be the world’s deadliest conflict zone since World War II, killing more than 5.4 million people. The conflict is complicated by outside forces and a variety of armed groups fighting both the government and each other.
The photos are of the citizens of DR Congo who had to leave their villages and live in refugee camps in order to save their lives. Most of these people have lost their families due to the war. They are true survivors trying to lead a normal life amidst the inhuman conditions that surround them.
Rankin visited the Mugunga refugee camp with Oxfam and his photographs are now being shown in a exhibition outside the National Theatre in London’s Southbank until December 21, 2008. The exhibition is called Cheka Kidogo, Swahili for “laugh a little.” The photos were taken and posed as a fashion shoot and are very different to the images usually coming out of war zones.
Rankin said his images go “beyond statistics and show the human side of the conflict,” claiming that Western audiences have become “anesthetized to traditional photographs of conflict victims.”
Tumani (Hope), 38. Tailor
“This sewing machine is all I could take with me. It was heavy, difficult to carry, but I couldn’t leave it behind. This sewing machine feeds my eight children and me. If someone were to take this from me, they would be taking my life.”
Seraphine, 42. Entrepreneur
“I came from Rutshuru in Katwiguru. My own husband was killed in front of my eyes. There is still no peace in Rutshuru. Laurent Nkunda (leader of CNDP) is still oppressing us. We lived with the Interahamwe and there was no problem with them. But when Laurent Nkunda came, we started suffering a lot. He shot many people. Many people.
“Please help us get rid of those enemies so that we can go back to home. That is what we want. If you help us with this, really, we can finally heal.”
Antoinette, 70. Wife and Granny
“ My husband was a businessman. He is dead. One night those men entered the village. They were assaulting us, shooting people, and setting fire to our homes. My husband was shot. I found his body on the street. I didn’t attempt to bury him. I couldn’t. I had to run. I want my message to be heard. I want an end to this war.”
Rehema Buera, 52. Restaurant owner
“I lost my husband and four of my children because of this war. After the attack, there were dead bodies everywhere in my village. I found the dead bodies of my husband and my four eldest children – all shot in the head. That day, 175 people from my village were murdered.”
Furaha Vumilia, 65. Basket maker
“It takes two weeks to make a basket – but it only sells for 260 francs (25p). How can you work for two weeks to make 25p? I fled when the war came. People were throwing bombs into our houses. I was living with my son. He and his wife were killed. I fled with my two grandsons. One is 15 and the other 13. They are orphans now.”
Karo Redi, 14 (with baby Happiness)
Banza Masamba, 47. Hairdresser
“There are 24 of us in the camp, living in four small huts. The worst moment in my life is right now. We want peace. That’s all. Peace so that we can go back home. We want you people to talk to the politicians and ask them to stop this war.”
Jasmine, photographer
Jasmine turns her make believe camera on to the photographer.
FTV readers, you can help the people of the Congo. Educate yourself and get involved. Go to:
http://www.oxfam.org./en/emergencies/congo
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1857758,00.html
IMAGES: RANKIN/OXFAM
London Fashion Week: Top Trends
Friday, September 26th, 2008
London Fashion Week, which closed last Friday, swiftly climbed from one moment of high drama to another, since it was rumored that New York and Milan would ‘erase’ London from the international schedule next year. Luckily, an agreement was made. But the drama continued on the catwalks.
Here are the main Spring 09 trends from London Fashion Week. Let’s start with my favorite, and the British equivalent to Marc Jacobs. Madame Luella Bartley! —Melissa Alvarado Sierra
More of The Fashion Curator
TOP TRENDS (from the Telegraph UK)
• Iridescence and transparency Reveal and conceal in tulle, organza and mesh; tutu-looks at Charles Anastase and Roksanda Ilincic; barely there at Jasper Conran; shimmering at Emma Cook and Nathan Jenden
• Orange, khaki, black, white, shocking pink “We’ve been tango’ed!” Designers love the Vitamin C colour (Betty Jackson), along with deep khaki (Amanda Wakeley), black and white (Giles) and Diana Vreeland’s “navy blue of India” (Richard Nicoll)
• Extreme prints Inspired by pixillation, butterflies, Monet (Farhi), kaleidoscopic florals, Copacabana
• The LWB (Little White Dress) From Issa’s broderie anglaise to Margaret Howell’s sheer shirt-waist and Giles’s sheath, it’ll be a white hot season
• All-in-ones Overalls and jumpsuits make the leap from function to fashion (Jaeger London, Goldin, Wakeley)
• Harem pants Gathered, droopy, tied at the ankle; best at Paul Smith with a French Foreign Legion/North Africa vibe and fringed scarves
• Minis There were thigh-grazers at Schwab, Kane, Temperley, Jenny Packham, Nicoll and Peter Pilotti
• Heady decorations Bee-keeper veils at Farhi, veils and bows at Luella, knotted fabrics at Danielle Scutt, Sahara Desert straws at Vivienne Westwood, metal Pac-Man helmets at Giles - get ahead, get a hat or at the very least tie a ribbon in your hair
